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Savannah, Georgia – Hussey Gay Bell provided full-service architectural and engineering design services for this project which consisted of the overall renovation of the 60,000-square-foot William and Iffath Hoskins Center for Biomedical Research as well as construction of a 30,000-square-foot addition to the Hoskins Center to serve as a medical education and research facility for the University. Scope of work included the renovation and addition of classroom space on the first floor into a medical library, multipurpose room and administration suite; expansion of the existing research lab on the second floor to include tissue culture, cell sorting and microscopy labs as well as a post-doctorate suite; and a 30,000 SF addition to the southwest including mock exam/simulation rooms on the first floor and student tutorial rooms on the second floor. Led by Rives E. Worrell Company, a JE Dunn Construction Company, the project is anticipated to reach 100% completion in early 2016. Construction activities were phased and coordinated with building users to minimize disruption impact during construction.

Pooler, Georgia – The first phase of this project consisted of a new 2.5 MGD hollow fiber (GE ZeeWeed) membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant constructed on a very small tract of land next to an existing 0.98 MGD aerated lagoon facility. The second phase of this project consists of an expansion from 2.5 to 3.3 MGD of the Pooler membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant. This project is being designed to increase the hydraulic capacity of the membranes to 3.3 MGD using portions of the GE LEAP technology and other critical elements to the operation of the facility. The Pooler MBR Plant expansion includes replacement of the existing membranes with the new generation of ZeeWeed membranes, installation of baffle walls in MBR tanks, modifications of aeration basin configuration for biological nutrient removal, chemical addition for phosphorous removal, and replacement of fine band screens with rotary drum screens, equalization pumping modifications and wet weather storage pond pump station.

The nearly $5 million project is covered by state funds and includes new pumps, an updated filtration system, and – believe it or not – something called a “sludge digester.”

“We sit here and we have to plan for growth, and Pooler is seeing a lot of it. So that’s the whole reason why we’re having quite a bit more waste water come to the plant,” said Hussey Gay Bell CEO Holmes Bell. “If we did not have this high technology that we have right now, we would be directly discharging into the canal. Pooler would get zero benefit from it,” said Bell.

The plant’s upgrade will allow it to handle an additional one million gallons of waste water per day. The city’s growing so fast, they’ve already started planning for a second expansion.

WTOC has the full story: http://www.wtoc.com/clip/12194459/pooler-growth-stop-lights-waste-water-plant-get-upgrade

Richmond Hill, Georgia – Earlier this week, the City of Richmond Hill held a ribbon cutting and grand opening for its new $25 million wastewater treatment plant facility at Sterling Creek. Savannah-based Hussey Gay Bell is the Engineer and Architect of Record for the plant which replaces the city’s original facility which went into operation in 1997. The new plant, a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system, will be able to treat up to 3 million gallons per-day – double its previous capacity of 1.5 million gallons per day. By installing additional membrane cassette equipment, the plant can readily be expanded to 4 million gallons per day, which the City is already permitted for. The plant will utilize several steps in treating sewage including biological treatment and solids separation via the membrane bioreactors. Treated effluent from the new facility will be pumped to the city’s current outfall location at Elbow Swamp.

“Six years ago when I was sworn in there were some plans to build a wastewater treatment plant; it wasn’t really state-of-the-art like this one is,” said Mayor Harold Fowler. “This system will not only meet today’s needs but all of our needs in the near future,” Fowler added.

“We are proud of this project and the successful partnership between the City and Hussey Gay Bell which led to the delivery of this state-of-the-art facility to the governing body and taxpayers,” said G. Holmes Bell, IV, PE, CEO of all Hussey Gay Bell companies. “It’s because of City Council’s decision to invest in the right technology – to not only handle growth, but also to do it in an environmentally sound way – that this facility will produce the highest quality effluent possible to put back into the Ogeechee River,” added Jennifer Oetgen, PE, Hussey Gay Bell’s Principal and Lead Project Engineer for the project.

In addition to Mayor Harold Fowler and city and county officials, the ceremony was attended by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter and state Rep. Ron Stephens.

The City of Richmond Hill received $23.5 million in loans to build the state-mandated Sterling Creek wastewater treatment facility – $10.5 million of which is from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), which provides communities throughout Georgia with low-interest loans to fund wastewater infrastructure and water pollution-reduction projects. The project is the largest the city has ever undertaken from a financial aspect. Constructed by Bainbridge, Georgia-based Bates Engineers/Contractors, Inc., the facility is expected to be fully operational by February 2016.

Savannah, Georgia – Each year, in January, Georgia Trend magazine releases its list of who its editors and writers consider to be the 100 most influential people in Georgia, including 50 Notables. This year’s list includes G. Holmes Bell, IV, PE – CEO and Chairman for all Hussey Gay Bell companies. Born and raised in Savannah, Mr. Bell is a graduate of Savannah Country Day School with degrees from Hampden-Sydney College and Mercer University’s School of Engineering. Mr. Bell is a graduate of Leadership Savanah and Leadership Georgia; member of the Savannah Area Chamber Board of Directors, Mercer University’s School of Engineering National Engineering Advisory Board (NEAB), Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, SAGIS Savannah Board, Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), as well as other local organizations; and former Board member of the Memorial Health Foundation Board and Savannah Music Festival Board. Affiliations include American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia (ACEC-GA) and American Council of Engineering Companies of South Carolina (ACEC-SC). He has been with the firm since 1994.

Hinesville, Georgia – Last Thursday Armstrong State University and the City of Hinesville hosted a ribbon cutting for the new Armstrong Liberty Center at 175 West Memorial Drive. Hussey Gay Bell is the Architect and Engineer of Record for the 21,000-square-foot facility, which will open to students in January. It is more than double the size of the previous Liberty Center.

The new building includes classrooms, state-of-the-art science laboratories, faculty and staff offices, common areas, student services and support areas for Liberty County’s growing student population. The facility offers special services for military affiliates and dual-enrollment options for local high school students.

Savannah, Georgia – On October 22nd, Hussey Gay Bell hosted an Engineering Explorer Post activity for 13 local students – from Beach High School, Jenkins High School, Johnson High School, Savannah High School, New Hampstead High School and Woodville-Tompkins – who are participating in the program throughout the 2015-16 school year. The purpose of the Engineering Explorer Post is to provide students with an overview of the various career options within the Engineering field, as well as post-secondary program information and to assist them in making decisions about their future career pathways. Explorers attend monthly meetings throughout the school year at Hussey Gay Bell and other venues to gain first-hand information about their career path, make valuable career contacts, and learn skills and information related to their chosen career field. Participants must maintain a GPA of 80+ for engineering. Hussey Gay Bell’s Exploring program is led by Steve Wohlfeil, PE, and C.J. Chance, Jr., PE – both Principals of the firm. Hussey Gay Bell has been a sponsor of the program since 2008.

About the Program: Exploring, a subsidiary organization of the Boy Scouts of America, is a career education program for youth. Exploring is the work-site based portion of the Boy Scout’s Learning for Life program. Learning for Life Executives facilitate school/business partnerships by organizing Career Specialty Explorer Posts to meet both the needs of students to experience the job-site first hand, and the needs of local businesses to recruit and attract future employees to a given career field. The BSA staff and volunteers work with teachers and school system administrators to match student career interests with local businesses who are willing to provide a regular schedule of work-based learning opportunities, including hands-on activities, career seminars, job skills training, departmental tours, campus tours and presentations and job shadowing.

Savannah, Georgia – Last Thursday marked the formal unveiling of the design for the City of Savannah’s new Hutchinson Island Public Safety Facility. The project is being designed by Hussey Gay Bell and will be located on a 1.6-acre parcel of land donated by Savannah Harbor Associates who is developing adjacent properties. The building is a multi-story joint police/fire station facility and is being designed to withstand a Category 2 storm event. The new building is needed for the protection of the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, the Westin, SEDA and the large public events that occur on Hutchinson Island, as well as future development. A consultant to Savannah Harbor Associates, Sottile & Sottile is serving as a liaison regarding overall exterior themes to match the adjacent development.

Columbia, South Carolina — Nupi Americas, Inc., a North American subsidiary of Nupi Industries Italiane, S.p.A., is establishing warehousing and distribution operations in Hampton County. The $4.9 million investment is expected to create 37 new jobs over the next five years. The company’s Hampton County operations will focus primarily on its NIRON product line. To house the new facility, Nupi Americas is purchasing an existing 50,000-square-foot spec building, which is located in the Southern Carolina Industrial Campus in Hampton County. Hussey Gay Bell has been retained to oversee the design and construction process to accommodate for the up-fit of the building to Nupi Amercias’ specifications. Hussey Gay Bell is the original designer of the facility and its respective site located at 314 Commerce Parkway in Early Branch, S.C. Hussey Gay Bell was selected by HCEDC to design the new speculative industrial building to serve as the anchor for their new Southern Carolina Industrial Campus. The 50,000 SF facility was designed to accommodate growth up to 200,000 SF. Hussey Gay Bell also assisted the local EDC with surveying and preliminary engineering to secure a rail corridor through adjacent property to ensure Class I rail access is available to the park. Nupi Americas’ facility is expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2016.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to the project. SCANA Corporation supported the project with a $50,000 grant for cul-de-sac improvements. Established in 2001 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Nupi Americas is a subsidiary of Nupi Industrie Italiane, S.p.A., which has been manufacturing and marketing the NIRON product line since 1982. NIRON is a complete polypropylene pipe and fitting system for the distribution of hot and cold water in plumbing and air conditioning systems. For more information on Nupi Americas, Inc., visit www.nupiamericas.com/nupi/en.

Savannah, Georgia – Hussey Gay Bell is proud to be a Pillar of the community. Featured in a joint publication between Savannah Morning News and Savannah Magazine, Hussey Gay Bell is The Pillar of Enduring Design: One of Georgia’s most prestigious and privately held design firms since 1958, Hussey Gay Bell was founded on Bay Street in historic downtown Savannah, just above where CEO and Chairman G. Holmes Bell IV stands in this image—and just steps away from Rousakis Plaza, one of the firm’s signature projects. Headquartered in Savannah, we have grown outwardly to more than 100 professionals in Atlanta, Charleston, Columbia and Saudi Arabia. With talents ranging from engineering and architecture to surveying and program management, our incredibly energetic and forward-thinking team will continue to provide unparalleled service to our clients and remain a foundation of engineering and architecture excellence for decades to come.

Savannah, Georgia – Hussey Gay Bell is pleased to announce the expansion of its Savannah-based architecture team with the hire of Ms. Lauren Prefer as Project Architect. With more than 3 years of industry-related experience in the design capacity, Ms. Prefer’s responsibilities include AutoCAD drafting, detailing, REVIT 3-D modeling and production of all aspects of construction documents. In addition to her real-world experience, Ms. Prefer has additional experience in hand-rendering, model-making, drawing and painting. Ms. Prefer is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Architecture. She is a Member of the American Institute of Architecture Students.